Текст книги "Watch Over Me"

Автор книги: Sydney Landon

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

His hand dropped to cover hers, showing her how he liked to be stroked. “If you’re within a mile of me, I’m hard.” Rubbing a finger against the wet silk covering her slit, he confessed, “I seem to be obsessed with your body, Red. I can’t think of anything but how it feels to be inside of you.”

She was reeling from his words when he pushed her underwear aside and slid a big digit into her wet heat. “Ohhh, yesss!” she cried, already close to coming. He used his thumb to rub her clit while he continued to glide one, then two fingers in and out of her.

“Ride my hand, baby,” he instructed as he steadied her with his other hand.

Gwen held nothing back as she rocked against him, taking everything he gave her and moaning for more. Her orgasm was an avalanche roaring closer, and she pursued it with everything she had. As she sought that one final movement that would push her over, Dominic curled his fingers, hitting her G-spot, and time stopped before the world shattered around her. She clasped her legs closed, trying to remove his hand from her sensitive tissues as she fought to recover. “Too much,” she gasped, as her core continued to flutter.

Dominic took mercy on her, releasing her sex, before nudging her a few steps backward until the bed met her legs. “I don’t think you can handle my mouth on you right now, no matter how much I want to taste you.”

Boldly, Gwen pushed his boxers down, sighing in pleasure when his heavy cock bobbed against his stomach. She rubbed her finger over the moisture gathering on the mushroom top. “Can I have this instead?” She licked her lips to emphasis her point, causing him to sway on his feet.

He gave a pained laugh. “I don’t think I can handle you tasting me, either, when I’m this close to the edge. I know I said we’d take things slow, but I’ve got to be inside of you now. I promise the next time will be more leisurely.” Gwen had the crazy urge to laugh, thinking about how strange it was to be discussing having more than one sexual encounter on a work night. My God, when had she gotten so old? The only thoughts a girl should have about having sex with a man like Dominic were yes or hell, yes!

He grabbed the condom he had thrown on her bed and quickly sheathed himself. When he settled her on her back and came up over her, Gwen was amazed to discover that there was nothing quite like the missionary position with him. Just being able to look into his eyes while he thrust inside of her was the most erotic feeling. He urged her to wrap her legs around his hips, pushing him impossibly deep. Even though he had claimed to be on the edge, he still took the time to build her toward her next orgasm. They licked and sipped at each other’s mouths while their desire raced higher. Sweat dotted Gwen’s brow as she felt the familiar tingle of her orgasm cresting. As if knowing she was close, Dominic’s control snapped. He used a hand under her hips to pull her closer and took her hard. “Ahhh, Dominic, ohhh!” Gwen cried as she convulsed around his shaft.

“That’s it, baby. Come all over me,” he grunted. He thrust a few more times before she felt him stiffen and release with her name on his lips. A little later Dominic left her to dispose of the condom before returning to curl his body around hers. As she fell asleep to the steady sound of his heartbeat against her ear, Gwen tried to tell herself that she couldn’t possibly be falling in love with a man that she barely knew.

It was just the sex—that had it be it. Really good, amazing sex was just that . . . it was not love—and it would never be.

Chapter Six

“Where are you going, babe?” Dominic groaned as Gwen shimmied out of his arms. The room was still dark, and it seemed way too early for her to be leaving for the office. A quick look at the bedside clock confirmed that it was only six in the morning. Thinking she must be going to the bathroom, he threw an arm over his pillow, wanting to catch a little more sleep. “Hurry back to bed,” he called over his shoulder as his eyes drifted shut. He was almost asleep when the sound of the shower running from the adjoining bathroom got his attention. After only a few minutes, Gwen was back in the bedroom dressing. He turned onto his back, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“I’m going to the gym before work,” she said as she sat on the side of the bed, putting on her shoes. Her damp hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. He wanted nothing more than to pull her back into bed and cuddle with her. Holy shit, when had the word cuddle become part of his vocabulary? “Just lock the door behind you when you leave.” She sat looking down at him as if wondering how to say good-bye. He took her arm, pulling her against his chest and gave her a slow, leisurely kiss. If her answering whimper was any indication, she wasn’t even cursing his morning breath.

“Which gym are you going to?” he asked as he licked her bottom lip. When she mentioned the name of the big facility near Danvers, he smiled inwardly. He might work out most days at the office gym, but he also had a membership to Gwen’s gym. Even though he’d prefer to have her underneath him this morning, he would take the other option available to him and join her for a workout. He surprised her by jumping from the bed and pulling her to her feet. He quickly pulled his jeans on and grabbed his shirt and shoes from the floor. “Give me five minutes to change clothes and I’ll be ready.”

“Ready for what?” she asked, sounding confused.

“I’m going with you. I have a membership there as well. We can work out together.”

“You’re going to work out with me?” She seemed to be having a hard time wrapping her mind around that concept for some reason.

“Yeah, babe. Whatever you want to do, I’m game.” He dropped another kiss on her lips and steered her through her apartment, flipping on a light so they could see to navigate. “I’ll be right back, and then I’ll follow you to the gym.”

He jogged to his door, opening it and making a beeline for his bedroom. After packing a change of clothes for work, he put on a pair of athletic shorts and a fresh T-shirt. Just minutes later, he walked back to where Gwen was now waiting outside her door for him. “Ready?” She nodded and let him take her hand.

When they reached their cars, he opened her door and waited until she had started her car before getting into his truck and following her out. It would be nice if they could take just one car, but Dominic’s work hours were unpredictable, and he didn’t want her to have to wait for him. When they arrived at the gym, he again threaded his fingers through hers and walked to the brightly lit entrance of the Sports Complex. Gwen stopped outside the locker room doors grinning mischievously. “You know that I take the water classes here. Are you sure you want to work out with me?”

She stood grinning at him, waiting to see him squirm. He cocked a brow, as he unzipped his gym bag and pulled out a pair of swim trunks. Her mouth dropped open in shock, and he pushed it closed gently. “Checkmate, baby. I’m sure if you like the class, I will as well. Now, let’s get going.” With that, he pushed her toward her locker room door, and he walked into his. Hell, this would probably be his easiest workout in years, and he’d get to see Gwen in a swimsuit. There didn’t seem to be a downside at all.

His first trickle of unease came a few short moments later when he walked out to the pool area and found Gwen waiting for him in what most would consider a conservative, black, one-piece swimsuit. All he could see however were perky breasts and an hourglass body showcased flawlessly by clinging spandex and dear, sweet Christ, when she bent over to put her water shoes on, he felt light-headed. He had been so busy ogling her that he was oblivious to his surroundings until someone yelled, “Hey, Gwen, is that hunk with you?”

Dominic jerked around to find a group of what looked like twenty women staring at him with more than a little interest. As if that wasn’t horrifying enough, he realized that there was no way they’d missed him staring at Gwen’s ass like a horny schoolboy. The only positive he could see in the situation was the avid interest in him had effectively killed the hard-on that Gwen had brought to life with her sexy swimsuit. “He sure is, Gladys.” Gwen laughed as she straightened to look at him. “Ready, sport?”

She didn’t verbally issue any kind of challenge, but he could see it in her eyes. She thought he was going to run. Hell, he wanted to, but there was no way that was happening. He was ex-military and worked security. He refused to be intimidated by some smirking women treading water in a pool. He straightened to his full six-foot-two height and motioned toward the steps. “After you, Red.” Gwen walked past him, and he almost groaned in misery. Letting her go first had been a mistake. Now all he could focus on was the sway of her hips as she took the steps into the pool. Dammit, he was sure she was moving slower than usual. He had no doubt that she knew exactly what she was doing to him.

When they finally took their place in the water, everyone went around saying their names. There was one other man in the group Dominic estimated to be in his sixties. He came over and clapped Dominic on the back, saying, “Hey, glad to see another man here.” They exchanged names and made small talk until the class started.

After the first fifteen minutes, Dominic knew two things with certainty. First, he wasn’t cut out for water dancing of any kind, and second, if drinking pool water killed you, then he was a dead man. He flailed, he fell, he splashed and generally made a complete ass out of himself. The only bright side was that Gwen had probably laughed more during the thirty-minute class than in the entire time he had known her. He was just getting back into place after an embarrassing side kick gone wrong when the instructor, Dolly, called out, “Dominic, why don’t you come to the front and be my partner for the next song.” Was she fucking kidding him? He looked at the gray-haired woman calling him out and wanted to curse over the attention that she had brought on him.

“Actually I think I should just stay back here,” he began, trying to gracefully decline.

She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Honey, you need to come on up here before you drown. It’s easier for a beginner to dance in shallow water. The deeper water is only for those who are more advanced.” Turning to Gwen who was trying her best to give him an innocent look, she added, “Gwen, didn’t you tell him how much harder it was in the deep end?”

Gwen shrugged her shoulder before patting him on the back. “I . . . must have forgotten that.”

He circled behind her on his way to the shallow end of the pool, reaching out to covertly pinch her butt as he passed. She yelped, splashing around less than gracefully. “You know what they say about paybacks, right?” he asked lightly as he moved away from her.

Dominic might not be Dancing with the Stars material, but the rest of the class was much easier in three feet of water. He still couldn’t believe that Gwen hadn’t told him. She must have been laughing her ass off as he splashed next to her, looking like Jaws on steroids.

He had to admit afterward that he’d actually enjoyed himself, for the most part. Dolly even told him that she hoped he’d come back. He thought most of the women had enjoyed the comic relief that he’d unwittingly provided. He shook hands with everyone as they exited the pool, waiting for Gwen, who seemed to be taking a long time to make it to the front. When she finally drew even with him, she had the good grace to look just a bit guilty. “Did you, um . . . enjoy the class?” she asked, as she studied the bottom of the pool.

He decided to have a little fun with her instead of drilling her about what she’d done. “I had a great time, baby. I can’t wait to do it again.”

Her head flew up as she sputtered, “Yo-you did?”

Throwing his arm around her, he hugged her against his side before helping her up the stairs and out of the pool. “Oh yeah, it was awesome. You’re right. It’s a great way to exercise and have fun. Maybe we’ll start coming together every morning.”

He took her arm, pulling her along when she stopped to stare at him. “We better get ready for work. I’ll wait for you out front if I finish first.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek and strolled into the locker room. A quick look back showed her still standing outside the door, looking stupefied.

Dominic took a quick shower and dressed in his standard work clothes. He saw no sign of Gwen as he made his way to the front lobby to wait. He was just checking his e-mail on his iPhone when a hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up with a smile expecting to see Gwen standing there. Instead, he was faced with two blond-haired women who looked as if they ate too little and exercised too much. He was also fairly certain that the overabundance of breasts barely contained by their skimpy tops were fake. Men knew that shit just by looking. Only his good manners kept him from jerking away when one of them rubbed her fingers along his biceps, purring, “Well, hi there, handsome. You must be new here because I would have remembered seeing you before.”

Dominic took a step back, trying to dislodge her hold on him. He had no problem with women taking charge from time to time in the bedroom, but an overly aggressive attempt at getting his attention did nothing for him. “I’ve been a member here for a while now,” he said politely.

The woman who continued to stroke his arm stepped closer to him while saying, “My name is Brandy, and this is my friend Misty.” He nodded his head at both women. When they looked at him expectantly, he grudgingly answered the unspoken question. “I’m Dominic. Nice to meet you.” He didn’t mean a word of it, but again, his mother had raised him to always be respectful of women if possible. Misty seemed content to let her friend Brandy do the talking while she stood twirling her hair and looking at him like he was her last meal.

“So, what time are you usually here, Dominic?” Brandy asked, seeming far too interested in his answer.

“I don’t have a usual time. I’m not here that often,” he replied, beginning to tire of the unwanted attention. Where in the hell was Gwen? He was past ready to get out of here.

Brandy giggled in a way that made his hair practically stand on end. She reached up to squeeze his arm. “Oh, come on, there’s no way you are in such great shape without hitting the gym every day. Maybe we could work out together. Misty and I also take some of the spinning and Zumba classes if you’re interested in those.”

Just as he was debating leaving and texting Gwen, he saw her walking slowly toward them. She took in Brandy’s hold on his arm, and he saw her mouth tighten and her eyes narrow. She looked like she was ready to kick someone’s ass, and he had a bad feeling it was his. Surely, she couldn’t believe that he would have the slightest desire for the stick figures standing far too close to him. She was the perfect woman to him. Her face was carefully blank as she stopped a few feet away. He had the feeling that she had been considering walking past without stopping. He gave her a soft smile over Brandy’s head. “Hey, baby. I was wondering where you were.”

Both Brandy and Misty swung around, staring at Gwen in shock. Dominic took the opportunity to step away from Brandy’s suddenly limp fingers and walk around to Gwen’s side. He dropped his arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. “Who—how do you know each other?” Brandy wheezed out, looking faint.

When Gwen remained silent, Dominic gave Brandy an easy smile, saying, “This is my girlfriend, Gwen. Have you met? She’s a regular here. She prefers the water classes though since everyone is so much . . . nicer there.” He dropped his hand to her hip, caressing her skin. “You can’t argue with the results, can you?” He turned to look into Gwen’s eyes, asking, “Ready, baby?” She nodded in reply, and he put a hand in the small of her back as they began walking toward the door. Over his shoulder, Dominic said, “Nice meeting you, ladies.” Yeah, like hell, but they looked too shocked to register the insincere tone of his voice.

When they cleared the doorway, Gwen pulled out of his hold and threw her arms around his neck. He had no idea what had prompted this unusual display of affection, but he wasn’t above taking advantage of it by pulling her even closer. “Oh, my God, thank you!” she squealed against his neck before dotting kisses there. “It was so nice to see those two speechless!”

Pulling back, Dominic looked down at her beaming face. “You know them?”

Still smiling, she replied, “We’re not friends, trust me. I used to go to one of the Zumba classes that they were in. It was horrible. Th-they made fun of me and were always so mean. I almost quit coming here at all because of them.”

“They’re the reason you started going to the water class,” Dominic mused, remembering her earlier comments about how uncomfortable she had been before making her new friends. He could easily see both Brandy and Misty being jealous of someone as beautiful as Gwen. They might not be able to admit it, even to themselves, but that was exactly the reason for their behavior. No matter how much they dieted and exercised, they could never hold a candle to the woman in front of him. She was a natural beauty—healthy, and luminous. No amount of money could buy those things. He couldn’t imagine any red-blooded man picking the other two over her.

“Yeah, the terror twosome,” Gwen said dryly. “They hated me from day one, and I never did anything to them other than be nice. I tried staying in the back of the class and off their radar, but it didn’t help. They always found a way to throw a tacky comment or insult at me. I’ve never hated anyone in my life, but I came close with them. I joined the gym to exercise and feel better about myself, but I found that they were actually causing the opposite to happen.”

“Baby, I told you that it was all jealousy even before I met them. They were choking on it when they saw you. You’re everything that they’ve always wanted to be. Never, ever let someone like that change how you see yourself because that’s what they want.”

“They were only jealous because you were with me,” she said softly as she absently rubbed his back.

He kissed her softly, keeping it somewhat PG-rated since they were still standing in the front of the gym. “That was just the final straw for them, sweetheart. They’ve been green with envy over you all along. How about I run by Starbucks and get us coffee on the way? I’ll bring yours to your office when I get there.”

“Oh, that sounds amazing,” Gwen moaned. Her breathy sound had his body twitching in an uncomfortable place as he helped her into her car. He followed her out of the parking lot and they parted ways at the light for his stop at the coffee shop. When he reached his destination, he sat in his truck for a moment, taking a deep breath.

He was in over his head with her, and a part of him was terrified. He’d shamelessly used the condom mishap to get close to her and stay there. Yes, there was an off chance she might be pregnant, and if she was, they would cross that bridge then. He would have wanted to take care of her regardless, though. She brought that out in him. He’d wanted her for so long that now that she had let him in, he wanted to shift from taking it slow to running like he was in a fucking marathon. In some crazy way, he had known that she was “the one” for him almost from the moment he saw her. He had never had that feeling before, not even close, which was why it had gotten his attention. He wasn’t a man who believed in nor had he experienced love at first sight. There had been moments of desire or lust, but that was it. With Gwen, he had been close to obsessed from the beginning. The feeling had been so strong that it had scared the hell out of him for a while. Hence, why he’d waited to make his move and almost lost her to his best friend. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. This last week with her had shown him that no matter how strong his feelings had been for her from afar, they were nothing compared to how he felt now that he knew her intimately.

He was terrified of a possible pregnancy, but for completely different reasons. He was afraid that she was letting him close only because of it. What would happen when and if she found that she wasn’t expecting his child? Would she push him away and move on? He couldn’t lose her now that he finally had her. Each day with her only solidified the depth of his feelings for her. He was trying to pace himself to keep from scaring her. He knew that she wanted him, but she was skittish. She seemed to almost believe that she wasn’t good enough for him, which was a joke. He wanted to drop to his knees and thank God for bringing her into his life because she was perfect.

He didn’t know that much about a woman’s cycle or timing, but he knew one thing for sure. He had to make her fall for him, and he figured he had a couple of weeks to do it before they found out if their night of passion had consequences. He wanted to be with her, but he wanted her to want it too, and for the right reasons. It was time for him to show her that there was something real between them. If he had to take a water aerobics class and make a fool of himself or give her orgasms until she couldn’t walk, then so be it. From this moment forward, he would be her dream man because she had been his dream woman from the start.

*   *   *

Gwen was on a call with the purchasing department, requesting some purchase orders for invoices when Dominic knocked on her door and walked in. God bless the man, he was carrying a drink tray with two huge coffee cups and . . . a bottle of water? Maybe that was for him. Right now, even though she knew the damn thing would be caffeine free, she needed that steaming cup more than her next breath. She ended her call and clapped her hands together enthusiastically. “Gimme.” When he raised a brow, she batted her eyes and added, “Please.”

He laughed softly as he took a cup that was marked decaf on the side and handed it to her. While she was taking a sip, he took the bottle of water and put it on her desk. Okay, so maybe it was for her after all. Then he surprised her further by setting his own coffee down and pulling a small bottle from his pocket. “I bought these for you yesterday. All of the baby articles say that you should be taking extra folic acid so I picked up some. You already take a multivitamin, right?”

She knew she was staring at him, but she hadn’t seen that one coming. If someone had told her a month ago that she’d feel weepy over the gift of vitamins, she would have thought they were insane. Now, though, she was fighting the urge to melt into a puddle in her seat over his care of her. How could the man whom she had only a short time ago thought of as such a tough guy be such a tender caregiver? He thought of things that would never have even crossed her mind and she was the woman. Almost on the heels of that thought came the pang of fear that this would all be over if she wasn’t pregnant. She had never imagined that men like Dominic existed and now that she knew, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go. She cleared her throat when he shook a tablet into his hand and handed it to her. “I . . . thanks,” she murmured as she took the water bottle he offered her.

Touching her arm briefly, he said, “Sure, babe. Anything else before I go?”

Boy, what she wouldn’t give to answer that question honestly. He probably wasn’t expecting her to beg him to never leave when he asked, so instead she smiled and shook her head. “I’m good. Have a great day.”

Dropping a kiss on her upturned lips, he replied, “You too, baby. I’ll touch base with you later on.” As he walked out of her office, she knew that unlike other men that she’d known, he would contact her at some point during the day. Dominic didn’t make false promises. Her head slumped back against her chair. She had a few weeks to form a relationship with him that didn’t involve the prospect of a baby. Maybe giving up now before she was further under his spell would be better, but she couldn’t. She had tried to keep some distance between them, but it had proved futile. She was just too drawn to him and was powerless to deny herself his company.

She was still wallowing in misery when her office door slammed and she jumped in her seat. Mia stood with her hands on her hips and a concerned expression on her face. “For someone getting laid on a regular basis now, you sure do look miserable.”

“That’s because I want to keep my new amazing sex life,” Gwen groaned.

Mia perched on the chair in front of Gwen’s desk, giving her a questioning look. “Has something happened between you and Dominic?”

Rubbing at the headache that was beginning to form at her temples, Gwen said, “No, he’s more perfect every day.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Mia asked quietly.

She couldn’t hold the truth from her friend any longer, and she was in dire need of support. “He’ll leave when he finds out that I’m not pregnant.”

Mia had nodded once before her eyes bugged out as Gwen’s words sunk in. “Why would he think you might be pregnant? You’ve only been together for what, a few days, haven’t you? Unless . . . ?”

“No, we didn’t have sex before that.” Feeling strangely embarrassed, Gwen told Mia all about the condom mishap, as she had come to think of it.

Mia put her hand on her chest. “Oh, my God, he brings you decaf coffee and folic acid? Where in the world did this man come from? Don’t get me wrong. Seth is usually beyond thoughtful, but I can’t imagine him thinking of vitamins.” Noticing Gwen’s despair, she added, “And now you’re afraid that he’s only Mr. Perfect until he finds out you aren’t pregnant, and then he’ll turn into an asshole?”

“I don’t think Dominic has the asshole gene,” Gwen defended him. “I’m just scared that he’ll take all of himself and his awesomeness and move on to someone else when there is no longer anything holding us together.”

“Gwen,” Mia said gently, “no matter what you want to believe, it was the attraction between you two that brought you together in the first place. If he hadn’t felt the same way he would have shown you the door. You might have had some liquid courage that night, but he’s the one you went straight to. I’ve got a strong hunch that he has been hoping something would happen between you two for a while—and maybe you have as well.”

“It was just sex—men never turn that down,” Gwen argued weakly, afraid to get her hopes up. “And I was dating Mac until very recently.”

“Honey, don’t be dense,” Mia snapped. Gwen braced herself for the tough love she knew was coming. “I’ve seen you and Dominic together a couple of times now and trust me, he doesn’t act like a man just going through the motions until he can move on. He looks at you like there’s no one else even on the planet but you two. I’m not bragging or anything, but I consider both Crystal and myself at least glance worthy, and he only gave us the barest bit of polite interest. We could have been naked and fondling each other’s breasts and the man wouldn’t have noticed or cared. He was centered on you completely. Plus, if Mac was really thinking of Ava while you two were together, I’m pretty sure you were thinking of Dominic as well.”

Ignoring her comment about Mac, Gwen said, “He did take me to dinner with his sister, but we had made plans to go out already when she contacted him. I think he hated to cancel on me.”

“Oh, bullshit.” Mia snorted. “A man just killing time would not have cared about canceling plans with you, and he damn sure wouldn’t want you meeting any family members. Men guard that like some national security secret. He is showing you in every way possible that he’s more than interested in you so don’t go running scared. Nothing has to change between you if you aren’t pregnant.”

Gwen took a few sips of her rapidly cooling coffee while she pondered Mia’s reassurances. Finally, she admitted, “I’m afraid to believe that something this good could be happening to me. I haven’t exactly had much success with my past relationships. Usually, I end up doing everything I can short of proposing to make it work and it just always seems to go into a downward spiral that I’m helpless to stop.”

“We’ve all had relationships like that,” Mia grimaced. “You just have to realize something that takes that much energy to hold on to wasn’t meant to be in the first place. You know I went through some tough things when Seth and I started out, but from the beginning, he was always different. I felt it, and I’m betting you do here as well. I’m not suggesting you go and profess your love today . . . but stop acting as if someone is holding a stopwatch over your head and just enjoy getting to know Dominic. I have seen nothing from him to indicate that he’ll be packing his bags if two pink lines don’t appear on that white stick in a few weeks. Heck, you’ll probably both have a drink and a big laugh over the scare before having some amazing sex to celebrate.”

Gwen felt her heart lighten for the first time in days. Could Mia be right? Who said that a relationship had to begin in the typical first date dinner and a movie manner? She had to believe that fate had led her to this point in her life, and it was up to her to embrace the opportunity. She needed to put all the fears from her mind and just focus on how much she loved being with him. They had jumped the gun a bit on that part with the whole sex even before the first date, but she couldn’t pretend to regret that. She might love his company out of bed, but dear Lord, the man could do things with his body that she had only dreamed about.

She had no idea what the future held, but he was hers right now and maybe that was all that mattered. Looking ahead and trying to avoid a relationship disaster had never helped her before, so trying to live for the day might be worth a shot.